Bumper Stic­­kers: do they really have something to say?

Yes this is the bumper of my beloved Arabian horse with a point. Some bumpers are enjoyable, some are curiously interesting and some – more annoying – that sparks a wonderment of “why would anyone think of such a phrase?” More, find the need to display on the back end of a vehicle?

Two of these (such commentaries) caught my eye, for they were the only stickers on back of two different old trucks here in Santa Fe which I gave some attention to.

As I was running errands one day while driving to Shakespeare class when two different bumper stickers caught my eye. Nothing unusual about bumper stickers, and normally I do not read these plastered statements, for most have nothing to say but mindless rhetoric which possibly spilled over from loud noisy opinionated mind. Some stickers admittedly have made me giggle and shake my head, but these two, due to their irony caused a giggled and the second one left me dumbfounded, at lost for a word or thought.

In the middle of a rickety old faded pale yellow truck, sitting directly below the handle was a worn muddy bumper sticker, it stated: “Bullets do not kill people, cell phones do.”

My immediate vexation piqued, more to the person who would think in this venue; bullets verses a cell phone are lesser of a killer. ” Bullets do not kill people!!” We could test this theory out on this particular human, have them stand by his bumper sticker with a cell phone in hand and another person aiming a gun at him – fire a shot to see which would kill him first. This is my logical mind at work. I do get what the bumper sticker was attempting to convey, albeit unrealistic in logic.

Yes, cell phones and the irresponsible use of texting, calling, reading texted message along with other driving distractions such as: putting makeup on in the mirror, driving with dogs jumping into the drivers’ lap, chatting to much with passengers looking at them and not the road ahead or driving with ones’ elbows. All are extremely dangerous.

Oh yes I have observed then gawked with curiosity to a rather strange swerving car in front me one day. Having to pull out to avoid any foreseen accident this driver was unconsciously proceeding forward in traffic “an intentional accident waiting to happen”. Pulling alongside I viewed a woman driving with her two elbows steering the wheel of a tattered car. A cell phone in one hand and a jar of some liquid she was drinking in the other hand – complicating the offensive manner of unconscious driving was an unruly dog jumping in and out of her lap.

Yes this is a dangerous benumbed stupefied driver. Seeing the dented car, it was apparent she had many encounters with other cars and most likely no insurance. I quickly passed to avoid a dent in my car with relief and joy, and unabashed wonderment at human behavior.

Nonetheless it was not her cell phone that was the danger? It was the woman’s insensible choices while driving. As it is with each driver who decides to use a cell phone while operating a 2000 pound machine, traveling at the rate of speed – at least 45 miles an hour, with abandoned recklessness. These cars/SUV/truck’s will take out lives or leave others with lifelong injuries, all due to a moments action, lack of focus on the road ahead. It is these insipid actions, the use of cell phones by humans and not the cell phones fault. The cell phone is absolutely innocuous in these moments.

The cell phone is always the inoffensive object. As a gun with bullets sitting in a strong box high on a shelf of a closet or locked cabinet. What triggered my reaction was the continual blame of dormant objects being the culprit in society for “killings, ruination of life producing grief” and not the human causing these actions.

In a checkout line when someone is on the cell phone, a cashier is patiently waiting to finish the order – while the growing line of people glare at the narcissistic unconscious human, chatting about some mundane part of life is rude. Yet we see this continuously. No sense in stamping each cell phone with a label of danger or how to use. We have done this with cigarettes to no avail. Many objects we purchase these days don the “how to use directions”, which often seem mindless. Mindlessness have caused many law suits in court (now a litigious society of idiotic court cases) – as we see the judge rolling their eyes due to human behavior.

The reference is humanity, the idiotic behavior we choose in any particular time and place. Often I think those cells need to be surgically removed from ears and hands as their owners stroll down some stores isles talking about unimportant life stuff that could wait till later, having a normal conversation in person. What happened to in person conversations? This is a topic for another blog.

Next bumper sticker left me thoughtless and speechless: “What would Jesus Bomb”?

For this moment I have nothing to say! Only thought comes to mind is, what kind of mindset conjures these four words and manufacture a bumper sticker?

The comparison seems doltish, the fact someone is making money off these bumper stickers, well is ingenious enterprise. Further augmenting my logical theory of how foolish many are will to purchase such statements to show the world, stamped on their trucks – cars etc how nonsensical our actions reflect.

In closing “de facto” one bumper sticker that captured my humor was posted in Boston Massachusetts: “Pass in Awe, Important Person Inside” That was funny, it tickled me while my mind streamed two directions; either it was meant as a good joke or someone was severely narcissistic. Funny nonetheless and worthy of passing along.

It is a chilly winters’ day, for peace sake and some moments of intellectual common sense, I am retreating with my Aussie Blue Heeler Sadë and to my beautiful Arabians’ side for some steadfast logic and conversation.